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We watched the 1968 Romeo and Juliet over the weekend.
This isn't really so much about the disk as about the movie itself. This particular R and J is famous for the music within it, including one that's become so famous that a lot of people think Tchaikovsky wrote it for his Romeo and Juliet symphony. (One of those people used to be me!)
Now the thing of this is long before we are ready to process Shakespeare, some well meaning English Teacher is standing there ready to give us more than our fill. I mean, let's think about it: there you are, 14 years old. Your world is kind of turning upside down on you! Your body is doing things you never imagined it was designed to do. The entire world seems intent on forcing you to grow up a lot faster than you ever can. Even Mom and Dad aren't as brilliant as you once thought!
-then along comes some Teacher wanting you to read...this stuff! They speak some language the Teacher says is English, but it doesn't sound like any English you ever heard! Teacher says some of it is funny, but you don't get it! They are saying these are the greatest stories ever written. OK, then how come there are no pictures?
In the wrong hands, this can be pretty discouraging stuff. I had some great English teachers who really loved literature and plays, and they wanted us to love them too. They made them fun and dramatic and interesting and 40 years later I still remember what they taught me. -and yet there are those...others. When you have some teacher who figured out he should have become an optometrist 20 years ago and he's just biding his bitter time until retirement, termination or just plain old death, Shakespeare can be an instrument of torture!
- had at least two of these!
So, maybe two years ago, I bought the disk. My inner 14 year old kind of resisted the idea of actually...watching it. Last week, I told my wife I wanted to watch it and she seemed happy about it until I reminded her it was in the original English, then the happiness turned into a reluctant willingness to at least try it. I told my son, and he quickly made himself scarce. He's still in high school (-too soon!).
So, we put it on screen with plan "B" firmly in place: "-eject the disk, go get pizza, never mention it again!".
The shock of it was we really enjoyed it! The scenery, the costuming and sets, the music, the acting were all fantastic! Of course we couldn't follow the dialog word for word, but it made its point regardless.
-and who knows, just maybe we aren't 14 years old anymore!
This isn't really so much about the disk as about the movie itself. This particular R and J is famous for the music within it, including one that's become so famous that a lot of people think Tchaikovsky wrote it for his Romeo and Juliet symphony. (One of those people used to be me!)
Now the thing of this is long before we are ready to process Shakespeare, some well meaning English Teacher is standing there ready to give us more than our fill. I mean, let's think about it: there you are, 14 years old. Your world is kind of turning upside down on you! Your body is doing things you never imagined it was designed to do. The entire world seems intent on forcing you to grow up a lot faster than you ever can. Even Mom and Dad aren't as brilliant as you once thought!
-then along comes some Teacher wanting you to read...this stuff! They speak some language the Teacher says is English, but it doesn't sound like any English you ever heard! Teacher says some of it is funny, but you don't get it! They are saying these are the greatest stories ever written. OK, then how come there are no pictures?
In the wrong hands, this can be pretty discouraging stuff. I had some great English teachers who really loved literature and plays, and they wanted us to love them too. They made them fun and dramatic and interesting and 40 years later I still remember what they taught me. -and yet there are those...others. When you have some teacher who figured out he should have become an optometrist 20 years ago and he's just biding his bitter time until retirement, termination or just plain old death, Shakespeare can be an instrument of torture!
- had at least two of these!
So, maybe two years ago, I bought the disk. My inner 14 year old kind of resisted the idea of actually...watching it. Last week, I told my wife I wanted to watch it and she seemed happy about it until I reminded her it was in the original English, then the happiness turned into a reluctant willingness to at least try it. I told my son, and he quickly made himself scarce. He's still in high school (-too soon!).
So, we put it on screen with plan "B" firmly in place: "-eject the disk, go get pizza, never mention it again!".
The shock of it was we really enjoyed it! The scenery, the costuming and sets, the music, the acting were all fantastic! Of course we couldn't follow the dialog word for word, but it made its point regardless.
-and who knows, just maybe we aren't 14 years old anymore!
to see this screen shot from the "Jurassic Park" Blu-ray from the other night. I still cant get over how they do this to an old film, but the results are truly amazing 
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